Inven



Rei a sued Apr. as, 1933 7 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE I HYMAN MATZNER,OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T THOMAS'A. EDISON, INCORPO- RATED, OF WESTORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY INDICATOR FORRADIOBECEIVERS Original No. 1,674,603, dated The present invention is,concerned with improvements in radio dials, an object of the inventionbeing to provide a dial equipped with a conspicuous indicator ,whichbecomes active whenever the dial has been rotated to the proper point tobring in a station on an associated receiving set.

While the indicating means might be an audible one I prefer to use avisible indicator such as the lamp which illuminates a window on theface of the dial at times when the dial has been set to'bring in astation. If the provided in the nature of visible station callletterswhich are-exposed at the same time that the lamp is lit, so that theoperator of the dial will know just which station he isgetting withoutwaiting for any announcement of the station call letters,

Another object of the invention is to provide a radio dial having animprovedmeans for manipulating it; specifically to provide a driving orrotating means forjthe dial which will permit minute dial adjustmentsand at the same time prevent the play and back-lash which'is one of therecognized disadvantages of present gear-driven dials. v

'Otherobjects of the invention are to provide a dial of simple,practical construction,

which will be neat and attractive in appear ance, rugged, durable andeflicient in'use, and 5 well suited to the requirements of economicalmanufacture and convenient manipulation.-

, With the above noted and other objects in view, the invention consistsin certain novel features of construction and combinations.

and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully understood from thefollowing description in connection with the accompanying drawing,wherein- F g. 1 is a front elevational view of atdial embodyingtheinve'ntion.

source of current connects 2' is a similar view with the cover of thedial removed.

June 1a, 1928, Serial No. 209517, filed July so, 1927. Application forreissue filed January 14, 1930. Serial No. 420,768. r

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the 7 line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

' In the drawing I have used the reference numeral 10 to designate thepanel board of a radio receiving set, and the reference numeral 11 toindicate acircular dial casing fixed to the panel board as by a. screw12 and provided with a cover 13. A shaft 14 controlling the radio set isjournalled' in the panel and the bottom of the casing 11, and carries ahub 15 disposed within the dial casin Spider arms 16 projectingradiallyfrom the hub carry an annular member 17 One section of thismember, preferably a semi-- circular section thereofwii provided with aspiral thread 18, and the other section carries a semi-circularconductive plate 19 upon which is mounted a simiarly shaped strip ofpaper or the like 20.

The dial casing 11 and cover 13 are cut away as at 21 to accommodate anut 22 having inwardly. projecting ins 23 meshing with the spiral thread18. The nut 22 being limited against lateral movement by the walls ofthe dial casing and cover acts when rotated to transmit movement to thescrew 18 and rotate the ring 17, hub 15 and shaft 14. This screw or wormmotion is of course very slow so that extremely, fine adjustments of thedial may be had. The screw must also prevent any back-lash such as ispresent in the ordinary type of gear driven dials.

The cover 13 is provided with a window 10 arranged above a signal lamp24 mounted in a block 25 integral with the base of'the dial housing 11.g I v One side of this lamp is connected by a spring contact 26-to thebrass plate 19, and the other side of the lamp 1 is conn ected through awire 27 directly to a source of current (not shown) through a bindingpost 28. A return lead from thebattery or other to a second binding post29 which may be disposed in any desired location, and is in electricalcontact with a circuit closing finger 30 secured to the inner face ofthe casing 11 immediately 5 adjacent an indicating opening 31 arrangedin the casing cover.

Preferably, the inner portion of the strip 20 displays station callletters such as 32, and the outer portion of the strip 20 is providedwith a plurality of closel arranged apertures 33 into any of whiclicontact pins 34 are adapted to be dropped; these pins making electricalcontact with the plate 19.

One of the contact pins is of course arranged adjacent-each station callletter, the call letters being'written and the pins emplaced by the dialoperator after a thorough test of the exact dial positions in which thevarious stations are received.

- 22, the heads of the contact pins '34 will come into contact withthefinger 30 closing a circuit through the lamp 34. and illuminating thewindow 10. This illumination will be sufliciently bright to render thecall letters which .are exposed through the opening 31 in the. bottom ofthe depression 31 in the cover 13 readily discernible. The-strip 20 uponwhich the call letters 32 appear may be of celluloid or othertransparent material, or the strip may be lighted byindirect lighting.By virtue of this construction an operator may simply rotate the dialand note that whenever the signal lamp lights the dial is it in properposition for receiving a station. wii1dow331 he can tell just whichstation he should be receiving, and if no signals are heard he will notethat the station is not broadcasting at that particular moment.

Various changes and alterations might be made in the general form andarrangement of the parts described without departing from the invention.Hence I do not wish to 45 the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: e

1. A dial for radio receiving sets including an electrical indicatoradapted to be rendered active only when the dial is set to tune in astation, a normally open circuit in which said indicator is arranged,and circuit closing means carried by the dial, said circuit closingmeans including a plurality of conposed in circuit closing position onlywhen 'the dial is set to tune in' a station.

2. A radio dial including a stationary housing, a dial rotatable in the.housing a signal lamp in the housing arranged under awindow therein, anormally open lamp controlling circuit, and circuit closing meanscarried by the dial comprising contact. pins having a signal selectorcontrollable in po- 7 sition by the operator to selectdesired Sta,-

As the dial is rotated by turning the nut observing the calllettersthrough the limit myself to the details set forth, but shall.

selectively positioned on the dial in accordance with the dial settingsnecessary to tune in broadcasting stations.

3. The combination with a radio receiver tions, of a source of light,and means associated therewith and with said selector for providing alight signal whenever said selector is set to receive signals from anyone of a plurality of previously chosen stations.

4. The combination with a radio receiver comprising a signal selectorcontrollable in. position by the operator to select desired stations, anoperating member for controlling the adjustment of said signal selector,a lamp, a circuit for energizing said lam and comprising contacts" forcausing illuminatfon thereof, and means movable synchronously with saidsignal selector for causing closure of said contacts to illuminate'saidlamp. 5. The combination with a radio receiver comprising a signalselector controllable in position by the operatonto select deslredstations, of means for ccfiitrolling the adjustment of said signalselector, a lamp, a circuit for energizing said lamp and comprising amake and break contactor fdr controlling the illumination of said lamp,said make and break contactor being operatively associated with saidsignal selector to cause illumination of said lamp at predeterminedsettings of said selector only.

- 6. The combination with a. radio receiver having a signal selector,.ofan indicator arranged to carry station identifying indicia in stationindicating position, a lamp positioned so as to render said stationidenti- .fying indicia more easily visible, a. circuit' for energizingsaid 'lam said circuit comprising a make and breah contactorforcontrolling the illumination of said lamp, and means movable withsaid signal selector to. efiect closure of said circuit when saidselector is set to receive signals from a previously chosen transmittingstation.

,7. The combination with a radio receiver having a signalselector, of alamp and circuit controlling means for causing said lamp to give alightsignal'when said selectpr 1s set to receive signals from any one of apreviously selected group. of stations, :1. portionof said means beingselectively positionable. to provide said signal at each setting of said-selector at: which one of said group of statact members carried by thedial. and distions is received. I

.8. The combination with a radio receiver having a signal selector, of ahousin having. a window therein, a movable marka 'le mem- 1 heroperatively associated with said signal selector and disposedwithin'said housing behind said window and havingdifi'erent portionsthereof visible through said window as said signal selector is adjusted,a signallamp 1 positioned to illuminate the rtion of said member visiblethrough sai "window, and a circuit for energizing said signal lamp, saidcircuit comprising a source of ener and a pair of normally open contactsclose by ad 111stmnt-0fsaid signal selector to the position to select adeslred station.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York,this 7th day of January, A. D. 1930.

HYMAN MATZNER.

